Former longtime Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is due to go on trial Tuesday in Khartoum for his role in the military coup which initially brought him to power three decades ago. The former head of state, who was ousted from power last year following nationwide anti-government protests, is already serving a two-year prison term for corruption. The 76-year-old al-Bashir and 16 others have been implicated in the 1989 military takeover of the government. The trial comes as Sudan’s transitional government launches reforms, with the goal of regaining acceptance among the international community. Sudan has also promised to hand over al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face trial on war crimes and genocide charges related to the 2003 Darfur conflict, when rebels began an insurrection to protest the Sudanese government’s disregard for the non-Arab people in the western region. At least 300,000 people died during the conflict and millions of others were displaced.
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